On Oct. 18, the Board of Education officially turned December 23 into a day of rest for both students and teachers in the district. This change came after a growing amount of complaints from families regarding the short length of the holiday break.

There have been a number of complaints in schools regarding winter break. Manhasset, Roslyn, Great Neck, and New York City all begin their break on Saturday, Dec. 24. Even though the Port Washington School District now has a longer winter break than its surrounding districts, students and families remain dissatisfied.

This is largely because many families go away for the holiday season and do not feel that they have an adequate time to enjoy their vacation. Especially for vacations to other continents, one week can be seen as too short of a time for a family to have a truly memorable vacation together.

Also, a longer winter break can give students more time to prepare for the dreadful midterms that are in January. Throughout the long break, students can set up an effective schedule to study in the library or anywhere with friends. Making winter breaks longer gives students the opportunity to catch up on their school work while also taking a break with friends and family in order to have a breathing period.

Furthermore, because this holiday season will include Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, three major holidays which take place on three consecutive days, it is expected that the amount of families traveling will be even higher this year.

If the school were to lengthen December break, students would actually be at a lower risk of missing school from family engagements or vacations.

By extending the winter holiday, one of the most widely anticipated vacations of the year, the school can rest assured that everyone will be able to enjoy their break without worrying about getting back to school too early.